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  • Ground Source heat pumps

  • A man and a woman sitting on the floor in front of a wood pile.

  • Availability in your area

    Enter your full postcode to check if our Renewable Heating Services are available in your area:

     

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  • Free heat from the ground

    Cutting carbon emissions has become a top priority for all of us, so it's good to know that we are surrounded by readily available, completely renewable energy sources that can be captured and converted into heat for our homes. Ground source heat pumps capture solar thermal energy stored in the ground by using a system of pipes containing a liquid that warms up when the pipe comes into contact with the soil.

    They require very little maintenance and are being considered by the Government for inclusion in a renewable heating incentive package designed to encourage the use of renewable energy systems.

  • Ground source heat pumps

    • Captures naturally available solar thermal energy in the ground
    • Reduces dependency on fossil fuels and cuts CO2 emissions
    • Can provide all of a home’s heating requirements
    • Government grants may be available

    PDF file: Ground Source Heat Pumps factsheet (376KB)

  • How they work

    • Natural warmth in the ground heats water circulating through the pipe work
    • The water transfers energy to a refrigerant liquid inside the heat pump
    • The liquid then evaporates and is compressed (a bit like a bike pump compresses air in a tyre) increasing its temperature
    • Energy is then transferred from the hot refrigerant vapour through a heat exchanger to the home's heating system
    • The cooled refrigerant leaves the heat exchanger after reverting back into its liquid state
    • The refrigerant is then expanded, causing a reduction in its temperature and allowing the process to start again
     
      A diagram of a Ground Source Heat Pump.
     

    Installation

    Ground source heat pumps need access to suitable land next to the property. The pipes are either laid in trenches just a few metres below the surface or in boreholes typically from 100m to 200m deep.

  • *For further information about the discounts being offered by the government through it’s Renewable Heating Incentive please visit the DECC website http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/renewable_ener/incentive/incentive.aspx 

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